Threshold

Threshold was founded in 1974 by legendary audio designer Nelson Pass. Threshold products carved out a very unique and lucrative niche between affordable high-end electronics and the lunatic fringe. Threshold products owned a stellar reputation for their robust champagne and silver cosmetics, and cutting-edge circuitry including the groundbreaking, patented STASIS circuit which produced a formidable combination of sound quality, power levels, and reliability.

Threshold produced a number of world-class amplifiers and preamplifiers, and continued to innovate after Mr, Pass departed. The company, although experiencing a downturn in the late 1990s (along with most of the rest of high-end audio electronics manufacturers), rebounded in the early 2000s with a series of active loudspeakers utilizing the STASIS circuit. Nelson Pass later founded Pass Labs.

You have to love amplifiers. They take the sounds we love and make them LOUDER. Whether you're a vacuum-tube purist or a cutting-edge digital devotee, there's an an amp out there for you. Let's take a look at 10 Killer amps . . .

10 Killer Amps

1. The Audio Space AS-6M (300B) mono blocks not only have superior build quality, but also other great virtues, including tonal purity and color, grainless liquidity that allows you to relax into the music. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

2. The Melody AN 300B integrated amp not only has the top and bottom extension, slam and powerful macro-dynamics, but it adds that special 300B magic of purity of color and tone. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

3. The ModWright KWA 100SE is a wonderfully musical and entertaining-sounding piece of gear. It offers reference-level performance on many parameters. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

4. The Melody Valve HiFi PM845 mono blocks are not only true "eye candy," with a build quality to match their appearance, but they also perform at a true reference level. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

5. Because of its build quality, handsome, physical appearance along with its beautiful rendering of the music's timbres, warmth and details without losing its punch or macro-dynamics, I would classify the ModWright KWI 200 as one of the best integrated amps on the market today, regardless of price. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

6. Musical Fidelity's AMS50 amplifier surpassed what I thought a solid-state amplifier could provide in its ability to offer warm, natural timbres, density of color, holographic imaging, and a flowing seamlessness across the frequency spectrum. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

7. You don't see five-star ratings on value on an $8,000 amp very often. Take that as a strong hint as to just how good the Pass Labs X250.5 amp is. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

8. With the Wyred 4 Sound mAmp for under $1,800 per pair, you get two very well-made and excellent-performing power amplifiers that won't drive up your energy bill or require a special room or heavy-duty rack to hold them. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

9. While Red Dragon Audio may be new(er) to the specialty AV market, having only been founded in 2005, its approach to the industry is refreshing and the Red Dragon Audio M500MkII more than speaks for itself. Here’s the review.

10 Killer Amps

10. While $1,499 may not be uber-affordable to some, the Wyred 4 Sound mINT definitely deserves to be considered, for buying a separate DAC, preamp and amplifier that work as well together as they do in the mINT would definitely cost a lot more. Here's the review.